Policies and Laws

The University of Tulsa strives for a safe environment free of fear, harassment, and violence. One way the University does this is by creating and enacting policies and procedures intended to set and maintain the high standards of the institution, the safety of its students, faculty, staff and visitors, and providing a means for holding perpetrators of these acts of violence and harassment accountable while respecting the rights and needs of survivors. The following information will provide you with more details on the applicable University policies, state laws and federal laws, as well as the role alcohol plays in understanding and obtaining consent.

TU Policies

The University of Tulsa has a number of policies in place that address harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence.

Oklahoma Laws

Oklahoma has a number of laws that sexual violence and domestic abuse. The following list is not all inclusive, and you are encouraged to explore the Oklahoma State Courts Network for more information.

Federal Laws

Find information and links on various Federal laws in place that impact sexual violence response on university campuses.

This project was supported by Grant No. _2016-WA-AX-0007__ awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

The University of Tulsa has a number of policies in place that address harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence. Below is the initial portion of our Policy on Sexual Misconduct at the University of Tulsa.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. Title IX broadly prohibits sexual misconduct in recruitment, admissions, employment, retention, and access to educational programs or activities.

Sexual misconduct, as defined below, is prohibited by this policy and will not be tolerated within the TU community. Every member of the TU community has the right to resources should they experience an act of sexual misconduct. Please come forward and ask questions, report, and help us eradicate sexual misconduct by stopping the silence surrounding it.

Campus Policies

The University of Tulsa has a number of policies in place that address harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence.

Oklahoma has a number of laws that sexual violence and domestic abuse. The following list is not all inclusive, and you are encouraged to explore the Oklahoma State Courts Network for more information.

Consent

The legal age of consent for any type of sexual activity is 16.

According to Oklahoma law, a person cannot legally give consent for sexual activity if:
a) the person is under the age of 16 (legal age of consent) Title 21, Section 1123 (b) of the Oklahoma Statutes
b) the person is developmentally disabled, or
c) the person is mentally incapacitated or physically helpless, including as a result of alcohol or drugs.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence: harassment, photos, interference with personal liberty, intimidation of a dependent, physical abuse, or willful deprivation by a person who is or was a family, household member or domestic partner of the complainant. A family, household member or domestic partner includes: a spouse, former spouse, parent, child, stepchild, or other person related by blood or by present or prior marriage; a person who shares or formerly shared a common dwelling; a person who has or allegedly has a child in common or shares a blood relationship through a child; a person who has a dating or engagement relationship; a personal assistant to a person with a disability; or a caregiver.

Title IX is a landmark federal civil right that was made into law in 1972 which prohibits sex discrimination in education. Since then, a number of other laws and policies have been put into place that impact the rights of survivors of sexual violence, the requirements of Universities in responding to reports of sexual violence, and the procedures and consequences for the perpetrators of these acts.

The Jeanne Clery Act is a federal statute requiring colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid programs to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics and security information. The U.S. Department of Education conducts reviews to evaluate an institution’s compliance with the Clery Act requirements. Initially called the “Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act” and later renamed in memory of slain student Jeanne Clery.

Noting that sexual assault had become an epidemic on college campuses, the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recommended that “all schools implement preventive education programs” as part of their orientation programs for new students, faculty, and staff. The programs should include a discussion of what constitutes sexual harassment and sexual violence, the school’s policies and disciplinary procedures, and the consequences of violating these policies.